McCammack running from her record of fiscal irresponsibility: Pat Morris

Recalled City Councilwoman Wendy McCammack is running as fast as she can from her 14-year record of fiscal irresponsibility. Her political special interest “giveaways” continuously undermined a professionally managed city budgeting process and led San Bernardino into political chaos and insolvency. Let me briefly explain.

At the very core of the city’s bankruptcy are a set of decisions made by the City Council that funneled vast amounts of money away from vital services and into retirement payouts, eventually putting the city in a fiscal death spiral. Every one of these decisions was led and supported by Wendy McCammack. Some examples:

On May 21, 2001, McCammack made the motion to increase police and fire retirement benefits and reduce the retirement age for all other city employees. The cost of McCammack’s motion — the beginning of a $160 million debt the city now owes to CalPERS.

On Oct. 17, 2005, McCammack made the motion to approve $50.4 million dollars in pension obligation bonds to further increase employee retirements. The cost of McCammack’s motion — a $114 million debt the city owes to Wall Street bankers.

On Aug. 20, 2007, McCammack voted to increase retirement benefits for all non-safety city employees. The cost of McCammack’s vote — another $20 million added to the debt the city owes to CalPERS.

On July 21, 2008, McCammack again voted to lower the retirement age for police and fire employees to 50 years, adding tens of millions more to the city’s debt to CalPERS that now tops $160 million.

And finally, in February 2009, when budget projections showed a $9 million deficit growing to tens of millions over the next decade, McCammack said the city should borrow from restricted accounts instead of making cuts. McCammack’s exact words were, “when you’re living paycheck to paycheck, sometimes you have to live off the credit card.”

San Bernardino cannot afford a return to McCammack’s decade of “giveaways” and “just use the credit card” mentality. We must elect a mayor who will enforce budget discipline, ensure a return to fiscal responsibility, and reinvest the savings into city services our citizens and businesses desperately need.